Best Sat Nav System

[mg]

Cheers, I managed to transfer the file to my Tom Tom but as I have only just purchased it I'm not sure how you set POI to fire off? Do the speedcheetah speed camera icons show up in the same way as those already loaded on my Tom Tom?

Yep.  The file name can be anything (no spaces though).  On my TomTom, you need to enable the POI.  I've also got 2 'POI Catergory' entries for fixed and mobile.  You set the 'Warn when near POI' with audio and set the distance to the POI (I also set for both sides of the road).

There is nothing specifically different with the camera POI list than any other POI list.  You could have a list of every McDonalds and set the TomTom to warn you when you are within 200 m (if you really liked McD's)   s:D s:D  

I've just attached my TomTom to a PC and this is what I have:

in the folder 'Great_Britain_Plus-Map' folder I have 4 files:

camera_fix.ov2
camera_fix.bmp
camera_mob.ov2
camera_mob.bmp

The ov2 files I renamed from the cheetah filenames.  The bmp files I created from another file I had (basically the same file with a different colour background)

After you had to start paying for the PocketGPS POI's I started using the Cheetah ones.  I kept both files and had both running to test the differences)  Some cameras are slightly different, but both gave plenty of warning.

The ov2 files are just text files that can be edited in notepad or a dedicated POI editor.  Here are a few free/shareware ones:

POIHandler
POI Editor
POIEdit

I was at one time looking to develop a system that automates customer location from a database to create a custom 'delivery route' that could be d/l to a TomTom and given to a driver.  Neat idea, no time to develop though (or no one interested enough to pay for development).

[Anonymous]

i use my mobile phone, with a bluetooth gps receiver. I had route 66 installed on it and to be honest the software isnt the easiest to use. I might try and download a different program that will work on my phone. I like the idea of having it on my phone, the gps reveiver is very small too.

The good thing about having it on your phone is that it can be used without the gps receiver too. Type in your route, with a start and end and it will calculate it for you. Or just use the maps. Great for when your caught out or need to know directions etc.

The nokia n95 is due to be coming out soo. This has a gps receiver built into the handset itself, and by all accounts the software is very good.

Downside, smaller screen. Flips out when people call you.

[Mason Storm]

Cheers, I managed to transfer the file to my Tom Tom but as I have only just purchased it I'm not sure how you set POI to fire off? Do the speedcheetah speed camera icons show up in the same way as those already loaded on my Tom Tom?

Yep.  The file name can be anything (no spaces though).  On my TomTom, you need to enable the POI.  I've also got 2 'POI Catergory' entries for fixed and mobile.  You set the 'Warn when near POI' with audio and set the distance to the POI (I also set for both sides of the road).

There is nothing specifically different with the camera POI list than any other POI list.  You could have a list of every McDonalds and set the TomTom to warn you when you are within 200 m (if you really liked McD's)   s:D s:D  

I've just attached my TomTom to a PC and this is what I have:

in the folder 'Great_Britain_Plus-Map' folder I have 4 files:

camera_fix.ov2
camera_fix.bmp
camera_mob.ov2
camera_mob.bmp

The ov2 files I renamed from the cheetah filenames.  The bmp files I created from another file I had (basically the same file with a different colour background)

After you had to start paying for the PocketGPS POI's I started using the Cheetah ones.  I kept both files and had both running to test the differences)  Some cameras are slightly different, but both gave plenty of warning.

The ov2 files are just text files that can be edited in notepad or a dedicated POI editor.  Here are a few free/shareware ones:

POIHandler
POI Editor
POIEdit

I was at one time looking to develop a system that automates customer location from a database to create a custom 'delivery route' that could be d/l to a TomTom and given to a driver.  Neat idea, no time to develop though (or no one interested enough to pay for development).

Cheers, I managed to get it working OK, but now I can't seem to get the traffic TMC receiver to work, does anyone have one of these?

[RacingSnake]

There is nothing specifically different with the camera POI list than any other POI list.  You could have a list of every McDonalds and set the TomTom to warn you when you are within 200 m (if you really liked McD's)   s:D s:D  

Or indeed the above if you DON'T like Maccy D's quite so much   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:  I've got one of these coming tomorrow I hope - probably about average price but from my favoured online gadget provider:
 m http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/116142/rb/25689456715 m
Will use it to find a hotel in Birmingham on Friday so it could be a long day if I don't rtfm first!   s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

[roger]

Just out of interest Which? did a test on Sat Navs this month. Best Buys....

1.  Snooper Syrius               £280  90%
2.  TT 510                           £270 89%
3.  Garmin Nuvi 300             £250 88%
4.  TT 910                           £310   86%
5.  TT ONE                           £180    86%
6.  Magellan Roadmate 6000  £287    84%

[Anonymous]

I hate percentage scores. What exactly makes the Snooper exactly 1% better than the TT? Exactly.


Out of ten (or, even better, out of five) is so much easier to grade. 1 being shite, 5 being average, and 10 being the best. With percentage scores, everyone just uses 70% as average, when realistically it should be 50%; but that's too low and upsets manufacturers so they don't do that.




/rant

[roger]

It's Maths, old boy.

For info to all.......

IIRC they give a rating out of 5 for about 10 or 12 different features. They then average the ratings. Not sure about this test but I do know sometimes a particular test will have a lower significance than another in this calculation.

The only real way to obtain a final outcome for yourself is to check the individual ratings ands pick the ones that are more important for you.

Again IIRC Snooper had the biggest screen (which would rate it high), but the highest update costs (which would rate it low). If update cost is more important than screen size, then this would come much lower down the scale in your own best buy list, but in their calculation they would have equal significance.

[DAZ400]

I have a Nuvi 300 and it is superb it is better than TT because it uses the Navtech mapping database which is vastly more accurate than TT, also my dad has TTGo we both have add on speed camera data base and comparing the 2 on the same journey around my area the Garmin Nuvi was vastly superior it also has some nice features like warning when you are speading in a mobile camera zone which it treats like a Specs camera section I am very pleased with my Garmin.....

[Anonymous]

I have never personally been impressed with the TomTom interface.  I just sold my Nuvi 350 to a friend and bought a Garmin Mobile 10 for my Treo 680.  The 350 is a great, simple, and powerful device.  The interface is about the best I have ever seen (it's almost perfectly duplicated by the Garmin software I use on my Treo 680 now) and would recommend ANY of the Garmin receivers that use the SirfIII or newer chipset.  It sees through clouds and picks up the ground stations very easily.

My Mobile 10 (also based on SirfIII) is great too, and allows usage of the internet connection on my T-mobile account to access traffic data, weather conditions, and gasoline prices!  They also have a hotel prices lookup, but it seems more in its infancy with very few hotels listed.  I purchased it because it is loads smaller and has almost identical performance.  The only thing I miss is the ability to tap the background on the 3D screen and go straight into panning/zooming 2D like the Nuvi does.

Note: You can save money by buying the slightly less sexy-looking devices (c3xx models) and the new cheaper Nuvi series that just came out and still get the same interface, minus the spoken language/translator tool and mp3 player of course.